How to Manage a Physical Testing Laboratory?

Industrial laboratories play a key role as a quality assurance and research & development department. So, it’s the primary duty of a textile lab manager to manage his working area, properly maintain equipment, and share his expertise with the team to train them.
This article will show how a lab in charge should manage a physical testing laboratory. You can easily manage the textile testing lab following the main points.

Plan and Organize Lab Area

First, it is important to design a proper paper for the laboratory. It will help you to utilize the space efficiently. Without proper sketching, you cannot arrange your textile testing equipment effectively.
Lab sketches will help to make a suitable space for emergency exit areas, washrooms, and dark rooms. To use the space efficiently it is essential to make a proper lab design before installing textile testing equipment.

ChiuVention Textile Testing Lab

Suitable Positioning of Instruments

The proper positioning of textile testing instruments is very important for smooth and flawless work. It will help the textile lab technician work speedily. For example, if you have to perform a shrinkage test, the washing machine, spinner, and dryer should be close to each other in series.

SmartShrink Fabric Shrinkage Rate Tester

Otherwise, textile lab technicians will face difficulty in working while moving from one place to another. It will save time, keep in mind the test procedure for a newcomer, and reduce the chance of sample loss during testing.
Similarly, for the ISO CO3 test, the wash-tech machine should be placed near the sink area because it needs a fresh water supply and drain. After the test, the beaker can be easily placed into the sink area to wash off the specimens.
So, properly positioning equipment according to their use and helping accessories will help to get good results and avoid mistakes.

Keep Instruments Maintenance & Calibration

Textile lab instruments are the tools for a lab technician. So it should be neat, clean, and in proper working condition. The calibration of lab equipment is essential after a specific period.
The time interval for calibration is written on the machine manual, or the supplier can ask for it. For example, in the coal testing section, the Gross Calorific Value (GCV) machine requires calibration after 90 tests.
Every textile testing machine has a different setup and test limit for calibration. A textile lab manager must maintain the lab equipment in working condition.
Sometimes, in urgent working scenarios, if the textile testing machine is not in working condition, it will leave a bad impression on the industry’s higher authorities and cause defamation of the textile testing lab manager.

Give Training to Lab Staff

A well-trained lab team is beneficial for the industry and a safety perspective. The Lab Manager should train staff with the latest testing techniques and standard operating procedures.
When a newcomer joins the lab team, there should be comprehensive training before assigning a task. Otherwise, it can also be dangerous for a person’s safety and equipment.
The textile testing lab manager should work with his team to monitor their working behavior. Once they are trained well, they should be assigned jobs independently.

  Textile Testing Training

Regular Meetings with Lab Members

The industry works on discipline and manners; without disciplined work, it can be problematic for industry and lab departments. You should regularly meet with your lab members to assign work within a certain time frame. Each member should have a separate job, and he should do it within the given time. It will increase the individual technician’s efficiency and help enhance lab members’ confidence in their work. The lab leaders should have regular meetings with lab team members to assign the work and to ask about the progress of the work. Regular meetings will keep you updated with individual performance, working style, and learning speed.

Keep Researching for the Latest Testing Procedures

Research leads to innovation. It is very important to keep updating yourself with the latest textile testing procedures. Research will distinguish you from others because knowledge is power, which gives confidence in the practice field. Lab duty is to ensure product quality according to demand or a standard. A good textile lab manager will introduce the best ways and solutions to solve production issues and maintain product quality.
Troubleshooting is only possible with knowledge and practical experience. So, to become a troubleshooter and a problem solver, you must study the production processes and create compatible testing methods.
For example, a printed fabric washing test uses the ISO CO3 test in the textile physical testing laboratory. Here, you should try two methods. One is ISO CO3, and the second is washing your printed fabric sample on a soaper machine and comparing the results of both methods.
Customized practical testing procedures will help you to find the solution quickly and efficiently. It will enhance your experience as a lab head and production planning manager. So do not remain on a single track; use your mind and energy to find new ways to solve the production problems and issues.

Improve Management Skills

Management skills are very important for any institutional manager because a lab manager is responsible for dealing with science, experiments, or technical knowledge and should also be a good programmer and textile testing manager.
The ability to work under the high pressure of a manager makes him extraordinary in the organization. Your team’s respect depends upon your respect, so if you are a good manager with good communication skills, your team will be awarded with respect.
The duty of a manager is known by the fact that he should be able to manage the department’s work and staff correctly. So, management skills are very important for a lab manager managing a physical testing laboratory.

Conclusion

The physical testing laboratory can be handled efficiently by planning and positioning the instruments in suitable places. Lab equipment should be updated, maintained, and calibrated after a specific period.
The lab manager should train his staff comprehensively and regularly meet them to assign daily tasks, ask them about their learning growth, and help them work. Lab leaders should keep researching the latest testing procedures and working on their management skills.